VISTAinfo Announces Free On-Line Agent Interface to the Palm Computing Platform
SAN DIEGO — May 9, 2000 — VISTAinfo (Nasdaq: VINF) took another major step in meeting the information needs of real estate professionals by introducing a free interface between VISTAinfo's On-Line Agent(TM) real estate productivity software and the Palm Computing(R) platform. The interface — designed to simplify activity scheduling and contact management for increasingly mobile real estate agents — will be available in June from the VISTAinfo Web site. The interface can be downloaded, free of charge, by users of On-Line Agent version 3.0, courtesy of VISTAinfo.
"With real estate agents constantly on the move, Palm devices have become an essential tool in facilitating business," said Howard Latham, vice president of VISTAinfo's RE/Professional Group. "The On-Line Agent interface brings greater functionality to Palm devices by providing real estate agents with the power to manipulate specific database contacts and prioritize information based on time sensitivity."
VISTAinfo will provide a two-way interface from On-Line Agent to existing Palm applications, including the "Address" and "Datebook" functions. Using Palm's proprietary HotSync(R) technology, agents will be able to download contact and schedule information from On-Line Agent to their Palm devices. In addition, changes to data on the Palm can be synced back to On-Line Agent. The interface will support the Palm III(TM), Palm V(TM), Palm Vx(TM) and Palm VII(TM) organizers. In addition, the free interface will be included on the On-Line Agent disc shipped with all new orders.
"With the new interface, VISTAinfo is providing another value-added service to real estate professionals who rely on Palm organizers," said JoAnn Forster, a real estate agent with Wimbash-Riteway REALTORS in Miami.
"On-Line Agent is a critical tool in my business, and the ability to download information while on the road will enable me to stay attentive to clients' schedules."
The On-Line Agent interface enables agents to select which contacts and activities are transferred to their Palm organizers; e.g., an agent can download only the contacts with whom they will work in the next 30, 60 or 90 days, as opposed to an entire database with thousands of names.
The interface received rave reviews at numerous annual industry conventions, including RE/MAX, CENTURY 21 and REALTY EXECUTIVES. The interface also will be on display at the National Association of REALTORS(R) Midyear Conference and Trade Expo in Washington D.C., May 18 — 22, 2000.
The interface also will support the private-label versions of On-Line Agent that VISTAinfo produces for RE/MAX, CENTURY 21, REALTY EXECUTIVES and Royal LePage.
About VISTAinfo
VISTAinfo, headquartered in San Diego, Calif., is a leading business-to-business e-commerce and information services company for the North American real estate industry. The company's Internet properties, information services and software products are used by more than half of all real estate agents and brokers in the United States, as well as by residential and commercial real estate appraisers, inspectors, attorneys, lenders, insurers, environmental engineers, title companies and consumers. The company's unmatched information resources, advanced technology infrastructure and solutions and extensive business-to-business relationships have created a powerful e-network for real estate commerce.
VISTAinfo is a market leader in providing automated, property-specific rating and underwriting information to the property and casualty insurance industry. Through a diverse array of online real estate offerings and content, the company supports approximately 75 percent of all residential home sales in the United States. It is the nation's leading provider of online multiple listing services, reaching the desktops of more than 350,000 real estate agents. It is also a market leader in environmental risk management information services. The company also operates two leading real estate-related consumer sites, CyberHomes.com and the award-winning NearMyHome.com. For more information about VISTAinfo, call 800-733-7606; visit VISTAinfo's corporate Web site at www.vistainfo.com , or e-mail [email protected].
This release contains forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties. Among the factors that can affect these forward-looking statements are demand for the offerings, and the company's ability to integrate recent and any future acquisitions. These factors and other risks and uncertainties are discussed in more detail in the company's Securities and Exchange Commission fillings. Because of these risks and uncertainties, readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements.
SOURCE: VISTAinfo
CONTACT:
Howard Latham of [email protected]; or Media: Jean Jacote of Neale-May & Partners, for VISTAinfo, 650-328-5555 Ext. 122, [email protected]